This tool features a heavy cast-iron metallic body with a flat bottom sole. It is fitted with an adjustable steel cutting blade (iron) held securely in the center by a metal lever cap. It has a rounded front knob and a curved rear tote handle, typically made of wood or composite plastic, which the carpenter holds to smoothly push the tool across a wood surface. It is designed to shave off thin layers of wood to flatten, square, or smooth lumber.